I'm Baaaack! And with a vengeance...

Whew! What a trip. Ammmmaaazing. For those of you who are married, I HIGHLY recommend a long road trip before you start popping out kids. We had so much fun and I wish I could just tell you about everything we did. But I don't want to brag....too much anyways :)

Today's vacation edition is The Grand Canyon:

We spent three days enjoying the sights there.

We hiked two different days. "Hiked" may be a mild overstatement however, as the paths along the rim are relatively flat and paved. We weren't able to go below the rim because we had our puppy with us and dogs aren't allowed. We definitely intend to go back some time and hike down the Kaibab trail.







Our nights were spent playing games and reading around the fire.
It was definitely a change of pace and a very welcomed one.

Pro's and Con's of our G.C. Trip:

Pros:

• We were at the G.C. the first weekend of June which made for good weather. It was high 80's during the day and 30's at night. Both were pleasant even though we were sleeping in a tent.

• Also because our visit was so early in the summer, the park was not crowded. That said, reservations are still highly recommended, (we had them luckily, we stayed at Mather Campground and it was full.) 

Cons:

• Pets not being allowed below the rim sucked(it limits you to the hikes on the paved trail, only about 11 miles total). We knew the rules ahead of time so at least it wasn't a shock. They do have boarding available though FYI.

While at the G.C. we did a really good job of eating healthy. One night having turkey taco salad and the other night we had turkey burgers. We may or may not have had smores :)

So what am I doing now that I am back from my trip?

Not a whole lot. Miscellaneous, boring , grown up stuff like the budget and organizing the house.

But I am working out... twice a day. Heck yes!

Yesterday, I did an easy 3 miles on the TM at the gym. It had been a while since I ran and I was worried about going at it too hard. In the afternoon, I was feeling stir crazy so I took the dog for a nice long walk.

This morning I did a killer arm and back workout that I am already feeling the results from. In a bit I'm going to head out for a 4 mile run. This wind is going to annoy me though.

I have been doing really good watching what I eat. 

Using a program online I have tracked everything I am eating. I decided that, while I am happy with the way I look, I could stand to lose a little weight. My goal is 10 pounds before school starts. That's 8 weeks, so we'll see what happens. 

Okay enough for now. Tomorrow's vacation destination is New Mexico. Ever been there? It was surprisingly beautiful, at least in areas.

What is your favorite National Park you have visited? Any that you really want to visit?

I really want to hit up Utah and visit the Arches, Moab, Zion and Bryce Canyon!

Tips needed: Eating healthy while camping

In case you missed it here, the hubby and I are leaving for a three-week camping road trip tomorrow. Three weeks. In a tent. With food storage in a cooler.

We're crazy, we know!

One thing I am totally looking forward to is running in several different states. New states = New scenery. It also means I'll have the chance to push myself. One place that we are staying is in the Rocky Mountains and is at 13,000 ft. That air is going to be thin!

So while I am looking forward to all the scenery and the many chances to run and hike, I am worried about eating healthy. Sure, I intend to eat a few s'mores but I can't be bad for three weeks straight.

I'm looking for meal tips, specifically for dinner. I don't want to eat pasta the whole time, nor do I want to lack in protein. What do you guys eat while camping that is sorta healthy?

I have been camping plenty of times but we usually ate spaghetti and canned food. That's just not gonna work for three weeks.

So come on people, help me out here. What are your dinner ideas?

On a random note, I ran 9 miles yesterday!! That's 3 weeks in a row that I have been able to increase my mileage heck ya!

Training Advice and a Giveaway

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Head over here for a chance to win, or don't and I'll have a better chance to win :)

National Running Day

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Now for the advice. My first half isn't scheduled until October and as such I am not following a training plan. Do you guys follow a training plan when you are not actually training for a race? Do you schedule what you are going to do in advance?

One thing I also want to focus on is being a morning runner. When school starts back up in the fall I want to be used to running in the morning so that I can run before class. This last semester I found myself either not running because I needed to study or I neglected studying so that I could run. So what are your morning run tips? Do you eat first or drink anything? Run on empty?


Right now I am an afternoon runner. I just have this fear that if I don't have food in me my run will suck. And when I have a bad run, I get discouraged. It's a strange thing. It's like my body is used to running but mentally I am not 100% there yet. I really hope you guys have some tips.

Do you have a goal for the summer?